MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF AMORPHOUS CO100-XTBX THIN-FILMS

Amorphous Co100-xTbx alloy thin films with the composition of x = 7 - 60 at. % were prepared by de magnetron sputtering at various powers an d argon pressures then annealing in vacuum. Effects of the composition , sputtering power, argon pressure, and annealing temperature on the p arallel and normal to the film plane magnetic properties have been inv estigated. The analysis of transmission electron microscopy diffractio n patterns and magnetic measurement data indicate that an amorphous fi lm with isotropic magnetic properties can be produced after low temper ature annealing. The maximum observed perpendicular coercivity was as high as 6000 Oe for the as-deposited Co-Tb amorphous films. A nearly m agnetically isotropic amorphous Co-Tb film with in-plane coercivity of about 2080 Oe was obtained after annealing. (C) 1998 American Institu te of Physics.